Improved production of cellulase by

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Enzyme Engineering
• Industrial Microbiology

Background:

• Cellulase is a key enzyme in biomass conversion.
• Commercial cellulose is expensive for large-scale enzyme production.
• Coconut mesocarp offers a low-cost lignocellulosic alternative.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an economical cellulase production process using coconut mesocarp.
• To optimize fermentation parameters for maximum cellulase yield and activity.
• To compare batch and fed-batch fermentation strategies.

Main Methods:

• Submerged fermentation using Trichoderma reesei with commercial cellulose.
• Optimization of nutritional parameters (coconut mesocarp, glucose, peptone) using response surface methodology.
• Batch and fed-batch fermentation in a 2L fermenter.
• Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy for enzyme confirmation.

Main Results:

• Maximum cellulase production with commercial cellulose was 6.3 g/l (37 FPU/ml).
• Optimized concentrations for coconut mesocarp, glucose, and peptone were 35 g/l, 35 g/l, and 25 g/l, respectively.
• Batch fermentation with optimized parameters yielded 7.20 g/l cellulase (42 FPU/ml).
• Fed-batch fermentation with sequential feeding achieved 9.58 g/l cellulase (54 FPU/ml).
• CMCase activity reached 93 U/ml in fed-batch fermentation.

Conclusions:

• Coconut mesocarp is a viable and cost-effective inducer for cellulase production.
• Response surface methodology effectively optimized key nutritional parameters.
• Fed-batch fermentation significantly enhanced cellulase concentration and activity.
• The developed process offers an economical route for industrial cellulase production.